Newsletter

Kitchen Ade: Deep color, exotic flavor fuse

Charlotte Ward, a resident of Hilton Head Island, has shared recipes with us many times before. If you’ve tried them, you know they are always keepers, and Charlotte’s recipe for Asian-Style Grilled Marinated Pork Tenderloin, coming just in time for the grilling season, is no exception. Flavorsome and visually attractive, Charlotte’s dish is easy to prepare and kind on the wallet. Her recipe, designed for use with a 1 to 1½- pound pork tenderloin to serve two, is easily multiplied to accommodate heartier appetites, or a larger family. First marinated in a mixture containing ketchup, soy sauce, honey and ginger, as well as other spices, the tenderloin is then grilled for 18 minutes (or more, depending on the size of roast) and topped with an orange marmalade-based sauce before serving. When purchasing soy sauce for the marinade, be sure to look for a good quality soy sauce that is “naturally brewed,” such as Kikkoman brand, which contains little else but water, wheat and soybeans and not the corn syrup and caramel coloring that is found in cheaper versions. Also, when using highly salted soy sauce in a recipe, be mindful about how much additional salt you may be using. If you can locate low-sodium soy sauce, opt for that — you’ll find it plenty salty enough. For most of us, our very best recipes are those that come from dear family and friends — this is a recipe like that, and I hope you’ll give this one a try.

Sue Ade, a Lowcountry resident since 1985, is a gourmet baker and collector of vintage cooking utensils and cookbooks. She can be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com or 683-0375.

RECIPE COURTESY CHARLOTTE WARD, HILTON HEAD ISLAND

1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1½ pounds)

Black pepper

For the marinade

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

½ tablespoon ground ginger

½ tablespoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Whisk together the ketchup, soy sauce, honey, ginger, dry mustard and garlic powder. Place the pork tenderloin in the bottom of a plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Wrap the bag around the pork and marinade and expel all the air from the bag and seal. Marinate, refrigerated, for at least four hours.

Mandarin Orange Sauce

¼ cup marmalade, store bought or homemade*

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ (15-ounce) can drained Mandarin oranges

About 30 minutes prior to serving the pork, and while the pork is still marinating, prepare the sauce by combining the orange marmalade, vinegar, paprika and salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add Mandarin oranges, and keep warm until pork is cooked.

*Kitchen Ade note: The sauce is good — you might want to double the quantity. You can use store bought or homemade orange marmalade for this recipe. If you’d like to make your own, see the recipe that follows. The homemade version takes two days to make — so plan ahead.)

To grill the tenderloin: Turn the grill on high. Remove pork tenderloin from the bag and pat black pepper all around the meat. Grill for 18 minutes, turning the meat every 4½ minutes and continue to spread marinade on the upside of the meat. Remove pork tenderloin from grill.* Slice diagonally, serving sauce on the side. *Kitchen Ade Note: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has determined that it is safe to cook cuts of pork to 145 degrees with a three minute rest time, which raises the internal temperature to 160 degrees, the temperature at which pathogens are destroyed. Do not skip the rest time, as this the amount of time it takes for the pork to reach its final temperature after it has been removed from the grill, oven, or other heat source.

Makes 2 servings.

Note: The marinade and sauce ingredients are for one pork tenderloin. If cooking two tenderloins, double the ingredients accordingly.

Orange Marmalade

4 medium (or 3 large) Valencia oranges

1 large lemon

4 cups sugar

1 quart water

Wash fruit, then cut into quarters and remove seeds. Cut fruit again into chunks of equal size. Place fruit and ½ cup of water into the work bowl of a food processor and process until the fruit is chopped into small bite size pieces. Place fruit mixture and the remaining 3½ cups of water into a large non-reactive saucepot. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover, and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. The next day, bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and cook until the citrus is tender, about 1 hour. (Be sure to stir mixture occasionally to prevent scorching.) Once citrus is tender, add sugar, in ½ cup increments, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat up to medium and allow mixture to boil and thicken to the consistency of jam, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove pan from heat and cool slightly before pouring into sterilized jars (with lids). When marmalade reaches room temperature, close jars and refrigerate for up to 2 months. Makes about 2 pints.